Friend Will you let Congress sacrifice the natural treasures that are our children and grandchildren's birthright? Right now lawmakers are considering spending cuts that could devastate protections for animals like threatened and endangered sea turtles, polar bears and rare Sonoran pronghorn antelope.

It's a deadly weapon in the wrong hands and could spell disaster for some of America's most treasured  and imperiled  wildlife and wild places. Right now, Congress is considering slashing vital programs that protect sea turtles, polar bears and hundreds of other species.

Today, Defenders of Wildlife and our coalition partners are launching a brand-new campaign to protect these vital safeguards for our wildlife and we need your support.

If you've never donated to Defenders of Wildlife, now is the time to support our work with an emergency donation.A key committee in the House of Representatives has already approved cuts that would threaten the very survival of some of our most precious wildlife:

Sea Turtles. Lawmakers in the House have slashed funding for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, denying threatened and endangered sea turtles vital habitat protections and inching these imperiled and ancient seafarers even closer to extinction.

Polar Bears. Congress is considering a 20% cut to programs that protect hundreds of threatened and endangered species  animals like America's threatened polar bears. Without help, these beloved bears could disappear from our country by 2050.

Wildlife Habitat. The House is considering significant cuts to the National Wildlife Refuge System  a move that would imperil threaten the survival of rare Sonoran pronghorns and hundreds of other species.

As a former head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I know just how devastating these cuts would be. That's why Defenders of Wildlife has committed to an emergency campaign to stop these cuts. But we need your help.

Your donation today will help

Run hard-hitting ads (like the one above) in National Journal Daily, one of the most widely read publications on Capitol Hill. Our first ad runs today, with two additional ads running tomorrow and Wednesday. These ads will cost thousands of dollars, but they'll ensure that lawmakers know just what's at stake when it comes to cutting wildlife-saving programs.

Bring wildlife experts from across the country to Washington to lobby Congress on the importance of protecting our imperiled species. Airfare isn't cheap, but we know that these expert voices can make a powerful difference in the fight to protect sea turtles, polar bears and hundreds of other species from the devastating budget cuts now being considered in Congress

P.S. We don't have much time to raise the money we need to fund this fight. Please make a secure donation online now, so we can put your contribution to immediate use saving our wildlife. Or, call 1-800-385-9712 to make a donation by phone.